Looking Back as we look ahead

I've been absent, I've been blog-delinquent, I know. Life has totally taken all my free time and like a magic trick (POOF) it's gone. My days are literally full of kids, and crying and needs. While taking on 2 more kids daily (by myself) hasn't been horrible, it's been busy! So far we've made it through each day with everyone alive! And learning has happened! But it has been hard to adjust to not having any free time, or being so tired I don't even want to do anything  besides sleep. But just like adding a new baby or a new schedule, I'm sure this too will pass.

So looking ahead at a new school year, new curriculum, new levels.....it's exciting isn't it? And a wee bit stressful! I've been looking at a few new things including My Father's World, Galloping the Globe, Apologia Science......Trying to decide if I should stay with some programs like Sonlight for Language Arts and Calvert for Ellie, or if I should scrap it all and start anew!

In all the looking (and being frustrated and confused about which path to choose) I've been trying to focus on the immense positive that there is in choosing your child's math, science, history, _________. Having a degree and some experience in Special Education, I realize my children each get their own IEP's! I am literally able to look at science and ask, "Hey Jonah, do you want to learn about animals next year or Astronomy?" How amazing is that? In all the stress and worry about what to order and who to order from, I can turn around and look at my child and decide, is this a right fit? Ellie would really enjoy that, Jonah would think that is totally boring. A perfectly tailored education to each individual child!

Now I realize that is a complete obvious advantage to homeschooling, and you may be rolling your eyes. But sometimes the weight of taking on my child's education is heavy. I worry I'm not doing enough, giving each one enough attention, maybe their learning style isn't being matched by what we are doing......and then I feel the freedom. The true freedom we have been given to learn and grow in our own way, in our own time, of our own choosing .

And while I peruse websites, read up on different programs, I actually look forward to a new year. Even now while wrapping up this year is near and we are all in need of summer. Ending the year on a good note, even though we are in the middle of great changes. I welcome the chance to do it all again. Where once change terrified me, now, it looks brilliant and beautiful and exciting.

Each year we homeschool it gets better, we get better at it. I can't wait to start it all again, even though we aren't quite done with this year.

So looking ahead, are you making changes? Big ones or little ones? Adding a new student? Going with a new curriculum? What's next year looking like in your home school?